Garment-supporter.



No. 864,716. PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

A. M. ZIEGLER.

' GARMENT SUPPORTER. APPLICATION FILED 8EPT.27.1 .B05.

NORRIS PETERS 00., gvAsnmarou, u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. ZIEGLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. ZIEGLER & SONS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed September 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 280,336.

ings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel garment supporter chiefly designed for use in connection with stockings.

. My improved supporter comprises a sheet metal body or frame having an enlarged space from which leads downwardly a convergingslot constituting a throat, the converging slot receiving therein part of a fabric introduced in the larger opening of the frame, a spring located and hold, as will be described, at one side of the lower end of the frame portion of the spring crossing the mouth of said converging slot forming said throat, said spring permitting the passage between its acting portions into said throat of the fabric, the spring grasping the fabric drawn into said contracted throat, and preventing the fabric rising in said throat and escaping from the supporter.

Figure 1 shows a stocking supporter embodying my invention in one good form, it being shown as applied to a log and engaging the upper end of the stocking; Fig. 2 is a much enlarged view with the spring inclosing part of the supporter broken out; Fig. 3 is a section in the line :r, Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification of my invention.

The body or frame a of the stocking supporter composed of sheet metal has at its upper end a slot a through which is passed part of the usual elastic or web a that encircles the log a and retains the supporter in its operative relation. The body or frame is cut to present an open central space b'from which leads downwardly a converging slot forming a throat a a part of a fabric, as a stocking, crowded into the open space 0 and drawn therethrough being drawn downwardly into the converging slot forming the throat of the bottom or lower end I) of said slot. To prevent the fabric or stocking from rising in said throat and escaping therefrom accidentally, I have applied against one side of the frame a spring (1 and a shield, the spring d being sustained in said shield, the shield so pulling the spring that the latter may be maintained closely in contact with one side of the frame, inturned bighting portions d of the spring meeting substantially in the line of the converging slot in the frame and acting on the fabric drawn into said converging slot at its lower end at a point above the lower end of said slot. The'spring d is so shaped, as shown in the drawings, as to present a curved lower end and extended arms, portions of which are inturned to form bighting portions d, the extremities of the arms being out-turned to enable the fabric drawn through the enlarged opening b of the frame to be pulled down readily into the converging slot, and bedrawn between the inturned portions d of the spring. The spring referred to is sustained yieldingly at one side of said frame by a shield 0 applied to the lower end of the frame, said shield, as represented, having a projection 10 to support the lower rounded end of the spring and ears 2, 2 to be bent about the rear side of the frame when the spring has been laid into the shield and applied to the frame. The part of the converging slot at a point above the inturned portions (l of said spring acts frictionally against and yields to the passage of the fabric into the lower end 1 b of said slot, said springs acting to prevent the accidental rising of the fabric in the converging slot or throat, the contraction of the throat preventing the fabric from being drawn laterally from said frame through said throat.

In the modification Figs. 4 and 5, the shield f is so shaped as to be clamped onto the lower end of the frame, a portion of the shield being depressed and embracing the rounded lower end of the spring designated f in Fig. 4-, said spring having inturned portions f X that contact in the central line of the converging slot or throat a The springf, Fig. 4, is shown detached and on a larger scale in Fig. 5, where it is represented as doubled on itself, the lower end of the frame being passed between the upper and lower arms of the spring. The spring referred to constitutes a jaw, and the application of a fabric-holding jaw at one side of a frame having a converging slot to contact with the fabric drawn into said slot at a point above its lower end to engage continuously the fabric drawn into the lower end of said slot or throat is a matter of much importance in the production of a practical stocking supporter, as the smallest possible bight of fabric drawn into said converging slot or throat will be so held that the fabric cannot rise in saidthroat, the throat itself, owing to its converging Walls between which the fabric is drawn tightly, preventing the fabric from being drawn laterally hackwardly out of said throat. It will be understood, therefore, that my invention comprises a frame having an opening of sufficient size into which to draw a part of the fabric to be held by the supporter, said opening having leading therefrom downwardly a converging slot constituting a throat into which the fabric is drawn while the person using the supporter engages the fabric projected through the larger opening, said frame having a spring located at one side thereof above the lower end of the converging slot or throat and the portions d normally crossing said throat above its lower end, the spring being free to yield to the fabric as the latter is drawn from said opening downwardly into said converging throat and into the lower end thereof.

The bighting points (1 and f X of the spring retain their engagement with the fabric drawn into the converging slot or throat, the even strain on the fabric causing the supporter to cling to the stocking until a portion of the fabric, which has been drawn into the converging slot, is drawn positively out therefrom into the enlarged space b, the force being suflicient to overcome the pressure of the spring. It will also be observed that the bight e of the fabric pulled through the opening b when drawn into the converging slot and between the bighting points of the spring is also drawn into the slot 12 forming part of the shield inclosing the spring, so that the slot in said shield, as well as the spring, form an additional resistance to prevent the pulling ol the big-ht e of the fabric laterally through and out from the converging throat.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A garment supporter comprising a frame having an enlarged opening from which leads a converging narrow slot constituting a throat, and a spring located outside said frame and in contact therewith, said spring being bent to present fabrieengaging portions crossing said converging slot or throat above its lower end and preventing the fabric from rising in said throat, and a shield for holding said spring yieldingly in its operative position.

2. A garment supporter comprising a frame having an enlarged opening from which leads a converging narrow slot constituting a throat, and a spring located outside said frame and contacting therewith, said spring being bent to present i'ahrieengaging projections crossing said converging slot or throat above its lower end and preventing' the fabric from rising in said throat. s

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. ZIEGLER.

Witnesses Geo. W. GREGORY, EMILY C. HODGES. 

